Basic and Applied Research

The book applies conceptual history to the analysis of science policy and public discourses on science, technology and innovation. The book demonstrates that and how concepts determine the conceptual space of science policy around the globe. The book is a unique contribution to both the history and sociology of science policy. The book differs from the bulk of literature on the changes and new modes of governance in science policy. While these studies are mainly interested in institutional or organizational structures of research, or in the decision-making process of science policy, we ask how concepts and narratives about the relationships of science and society have shaped institutional settings, funding programs, and, ultimately, research practices. In other words, the volume historicizes and problematizes those concepts and tacit ideologies that are used as analytical concepts in mainstream literature, often without deeper reflection.